So many of us have waited for the perfect job description to magically appear and make all of our career dreams come true. Or, a perfectly balanced life with less stress, more time to exercise, well-behaved kids and the ideal life partner. What are you waiting for? It’s time to stop wishing for great things to happen and take action.
Change the World by Changing Yourself First
Martha Hoover, former sex crimes prose...

Set audacious goals, and don't start the mentor relationship until you commit to these six steps.
I recently Googled the word “mentoring,” and immediately noticed three things. One, it remains a trendy topic. Two, most everyone who writes about mentoring provides a definition of what mentoring is. And, three, many of them want to sell you a program on how to make mentoring work.
Sadly, however, I noticed...

Whether you’ve been staying home with children, recovering from a major illness or unemployed for any reason, getting hired after a long break can be tough. How can you convince skeptical employers that you’re ready to jump back into the nine-to-five?
One: Demonstrate Your Commitment
Employers want employees who are passionately committed to the line of work they’re hiring for. Ways to show your dedicatio...

What is the future of jobs? The answer to that question depends on who you ask, and in what context. The World Economic Forum has its point of view, which it explored in The 2018 Future of Jobs Survey. This original research set out to represent the current strategies, projections and estimates of global business, with a focus on large multinational companies and more localized companies of significance due to their employee o...

How do you react to unexpected challenges? Do you rebound from major setbacks stronger than before? Or do you play the victim, blame others?
It's essential to strengthen resilience to adapt and succeed in changing times.
How resilient are you?
Answer 'yes' or 'no.'
1. I like trying new ways of doing things.
2. I find it challenging to recover emotionally from losses.
3. I adapt quickly to new situations.
4. I...

Asking for a raise can be one of the most difficult conversations you have during your career. It can be difficult to advocate for yourself, and if you’re not a natural negotiator a conversation about a raise can be even more stressful.
However, if you’ve been mulling over the fact that you deserve a raise for some time and are feeling frustrated that you haven’t seen a bump in your pay yet, you are probab...

You may not remember exactly when you stopped being excited about getting to work and tackling the day’s challenges. It may have started as a gentle feeling of reluctance – sleeping an extra ten minutes after the alarm went off, or choosing to stop and get a latte on the way to work, even though you were already running late. A few extra z’s helped and a double mocha frappée was a good distraction for...

To boost your chances when applying to a job, send your resume directly to the hiring manager–the person who would be your boss–not just to human resources. So how do you find the email address of the hiring manager?
It can take a little trial and error, but the great thing about the following methods is that they’re all free.
Try the easy way. Google their name and the word “email” or &l...

Whether you’re looking for your first job or trying to find a new job, the process might be as consuming as a full-time job. In fact, if you’re currently unemployed, you could find yourself spending as much as 30 or more hours a week on job search-related activities. If you’re already working, you might only have 5 to 10 hours to spare. No matter how much time you have to devote to the process, you can stream...

A few weeks ago, I ran a reader survey. One of the top concerns I heard from my readers were fears about getting your ideas across clearly and powerfully. Many of you said you struggle with speaking up and communicating well.
You said things like…
“Clear, straightforward communication of ideas and information is a challenge for me.”
“I’m growing into a leadership role and need to level...